Is Bacterial Vaginosis Associated with Urinary Tract Infection?

Bacterial vaginosis (BV), an overgrowth of Gardnerella vaginalis and anaerobic bacteria when normal vaginal lactobacilli are lost, is sexually transmitted and associated with preterm labor, pelvic inflammatory disease, chorioamnionitis, and other conditions. To determine the risk of urinary tract infection (UTI) in women with BV, these U.S. investigators recruited 129 women at the time of their annual gynecologic examination.

Of 67 women with BV, 15 (22.4%) had a UTI, compared with 6 (9.7%) of 62 women who did not have BV. Women with BV were 2.79 times more likely to develop a UTI (95% CI, 1.05 to 8.33) than were those without BV. Frequency of sexual intercourse was significantly associated with BV (odds ratio, 1.48; 95% CI, 1.09 to 2.12) an…